Survivors' Voices: What I Would Like to See from Pope Leo XIV

I had a different theme planned for this month’s Survivors’ Voices post, but it’s obvious that the election of Pope Leo XIV is at that top of many people’s minds right now. A few clerical abuse survivors have been quoted in the media over the past few weeks, but I thought it would be valuable to hear from some other survivors about their hopes for his pontificate. Here is what they said:

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• I've pretty much given up any hope that any pope will make a difference where sexual abuse in the Church is concerned, and certainly not in my lifetime. (How sad is that?) Luckily, I can think of several actions that Pope Leo could take that would cause me to reconsider my cynicism. Get his own house in order, in all the ways he didn't do when he was the Augustinians' superior. Remove the Rupnik mosaics from the Vatican's walls and websites. Institute a true zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse, and actually enforce it. Enforce transparency. Publicly acknowledge the overwhelming damage that abuse has caused the Church. Repent, over and over, until papal apologies to survivors no longer sound like a PR stunt, but begin to feel like the truth. Maybe then, I will hope.

• I would like Pope Leo to focus on implementing Vos Etis without exception across the world, so that cardinals and bishops cannot disregard if a bishop violated the law.

• I think the pope should immediately issue an apology for any way in which he personally may have enabled sexual abuse in the past and to emphatically condemn any sexual abuse in the church, stating that the full might of the law should prevail and a religious or priest who is found guilty of gender based violence or violation of a position of trust, should be exposed. He can clearly state that the church and its institutions, going forward, will acknowledge its complicity in covering up abuse of power and make restitution wherever and however possible to the victims. He can build on Pope Francis's stand in addressing the causes of a culture of sexual abuse including clericalism and abuse of power. One way to do this would be to introduce changes in the formation process of priest and nuns so that their own psychological woundedness and their shadow side has a chance to be exposed to the light.

• I feel a strong need for the Church to take concrete action towards survivors - financial compensation and paid therapy, along with tuition and job training and placement. The present day public statements don't match any Church actions. The Church repeatedly displays apathy and antipathy towards survivors. Survivors have many reasons to feel cynical about the Church's statements. Pope Leo needs to work towards changing this. Things like saying "We're all praying" or having a “Mass of Reconcilitation" don't work.

• What I’d like to see from Pope Leo XIV is to treat priest molestation of children (and adults, for that matter) as the crime that it is. Criminal behavior requires proper investigation and prosecution, something the Church has not demonstrated that they are capable of. I believe Pope Leo should take these crimes seriously and require that all accusations of abuse within the Church be immediately referred to local police for proper investigation. I also believe he should require complete Church cooperation with both criminal and civil requests for evidence/discovery. This includes all reported abuse, including crimes reported within confession. No more lies! No more cover ups!

• I believe that the Church should encourage if not require that survivors be given a voice. If survivors want to address the congregation, this should be allowed, if not encouraged. Survivors should also be provided with free counseling with an outside professional. Survivors need to be heard, and they need therapeutic healing, and it’s time the Church as an institution stepped up, with both of these.

• If a friend of his is credibly accused of assault, I hope Pope Leo doesn't cover for him or treat it lightly with a slap on the wrist. If he could do that, it'd be more than I think most bishops, and popes, have done.

• I have read that by 2028, an unprecedented 38% of U.S. diocesan bishops will be up for replacement. I hope he will appoint bishops who will go through the files at their new diocese and come clean on the corruption in the Church. They need to report the cover up that has gone on, implement steps for accountability, and own their own behavior.

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Thank you for reading. I’ll have more survivor reflections next week.

Peace,
Sara

PS: If you have experienced abuse by a Catholic leader and would like to share your own thoughts on this or future topics, I would be grateful to include your perspective. You can find information about joining the Survivors’ Voices Panel here: An Invitation for Survivors.